North American Monsoon 2007

[Jim Means]

Here is a link to my webpage that has a couple of the higher resolution GPS precipitable water images from last year's monsoon. You can also download the video showing the onset of the monsoon over California and Nevada.

http://pegmatite.com/research.htm

 

[Warren Faidley]

Crazy as it may sound, the first toads of the year appeared last night on my door step --- Amphibious type This is usually a sign that the monsoons are starting in a few days. I have always wondered how they know? The vibrations of distant thunder? Soil temps? If they time it wrong, they die because it's too hot for them w/o rain.

Warren

 

[Susan Strom]

Not crazy at all. Are they the little white frogs or the big toads? When I make early season runs to Tucson, I always notice those little white froggies everywhere.

Must be one of those Farmer's Almanac things. Large toads are appearing in the desert up here, the big ones, about softball size. Those are definitely the kind that need water to survive.

Incidentally, humidity and possible thunderstorms might materialize this weekend.

 

[Warren Faidley]

LOL... Had marble-sized toads two nights ago, but have not yet seen the baseball-sized toads, although they do live around here. (The same toads people lick to get high). Should be some good lightning around Wednesday or Thursday onward if the eastern flow picks up as noted in local forecasts. Hopefully, no more hill tops have been closed since last year, although some recent developments and associated roads in the foothills offer new possibilities. Time to load the Fuji film.

Warren

 

[Susan Strom]

Arizona...where the toads are bigger than the hailstones. LOL

Speaking of hilltops, is the Babat Duag overlook closed? Hope not. I think it is still open/accessible. That is a good one on the Coronado Highway.

 

[Greg Campbell]

Babat was open last time I was by. It's the first of several good overlooks along the Catalina highway. (It's only drawback is that the mountains to the west obscure the setting summer sun.) As you gain elevation, the view of the Rincon Mountains only gets better.

There are several good spots within the Eastern section of Saguaro NP.; these offer good views of the Santa Rita range to the south, with the sun setting over the Tucson mountains.

Climbing a few miles up Mount Hopkins road gets you some fantastic views of cascading mountain ranges marching of toward the setting sun. Add weather (in just the right place - that's the trick) and you've got the potential for a killer sunset shot.

Susan, can you please send me a few of those lickey toads?! Another week of 110+ days threatens to drive me absolutely bonkers. A good Toad Slurp might alleviate my suffering....

-Greg

 

[Susan Strom]

I think the heat is causing loopiness.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Susan....

"Speaking of hilltops, is the Babat Duag overlook closed? Hope not. I think it is still open/accessible. That is a good one on the Coronado Highway."

Yes, it is still open. It's too far east for the gangs and last time I was there one of their cars was nearly hit by lightning. Great place to shoot, maybe the best around Tucson. Just go up Catalina Highway towards Mt. Lemmon and it's a few miles on the right. There are also several pull-offs along the highway to shoot from. For some reason, those foothills attract lighting, so be careful if there is any activity close-by. The parking garages around Tucson also make for good vantage points, but almost all of them are watched by cameras and sometimes you get kicked out.

Warren

 

[brobertson]

Here in Albuquerque, NM, we've had strong easterly winds for the last four days. Also, from Saturday afternoon until this morning, the dewpoints have risen from the mid-teens to low 40's. Our seven day forecast now looks like monsoon season is starting with a chance of thunderstorms each day for the upcoming period.

Bill

 

[Susan Strom]

You’re right, out here, lightning loves hillsides. I do shoot from vista points, although I am careful. Just to show you all how wild it gets, here are some comparisons:

On a normal day, here is a view from a scenic vista point near Scottsdale:
http://www.fountainhillsguide.com/pics/bodypics/overlook.jpg

Same vista point, my version:
http://www.lightninglady.com/photos/LLWildOne.jpg

Nearby Red Mountain on a bright, sunny day:
http://www.gemland.com/images/redmtn.jpg

Red Mountain, night of a monsoon:
http://www.lightninglady.com/photos/StromAwaken.jpg

Red Mountain bomb going off:
http://www.lightninglady.com/photos/StromWildRedMountain.jpg

Ironwood Forest National Monument, Central Deserts on a clear day:
http://www.sonorandesert.org/uploads/images/ifnm.jpg

Ironwood, my way, with flooding rains (why the picture is blue) and CG:
http://www.lightninglady.com/photos/LLCallofthedesert.jpg

The McDowell Mountains, on a clear day:
http://www.mcdowellparkassociation.org/Mountains.JPG

McDowell Mountains, same hillside, with monsoon light show and blowing sand making the red color:
http://www.lightninglady.com/photos/StromFireRidge.jpg

Superstition Mountain near Apache Junction, Arizona:
http://www.burlingtonnews.net/mountain.jpg

Superstition Mountain my version:
http://www.lightninglady.com/photos/StromDutch.jpg

Lightning does love hillsides! I think it has to do with the backbuilding, the orographic effect, being further away geographically from urban heat islands, and just plain tall and pointy features. I observe that the foothills are storm magnets, much more than the valleys. One has to be really careful, but there are good vantage points in the hills. Babat is next, I have to get back up there. It is too good to pass up, but the weather deserves watching.

 

[Chris Bethurum]

I noticed some humidity along with the heat today. Around midday the dewpoint at Ontario Airport was 55F. Some mentioned three consecutive days of 55F DP somewhere in AZ inidicating the start of monsoon season. This is the first day we've had high heat and reasonably high humidity. No rain in sight though.

 

[bill mudd]

SOCAL deserts will get their 1st taste of the monsoon season this tues and weds july 10 and 11
should be interesting to see what the openers have in store
29palms anyone?

 

[Susan Strom]

Signs of the beginnings of some action are starting to show. Excitement building-3 month season ahead!

 

[Jim Southard]

29palms anyone?

Ahh... memories! My first ever chase was on an early season storm near 29 Palms. It was a gorgeous monsoon type storm - high based, lots of lightning, delicate rain curtains and then an obvious rain shaft.

The chase didn't last long.. I decided not to attempt to cross a wash that was swiftly flowing across Adobe Road just north of CA 62. I didn't have anything even CLOSE to a proper chasemobile either... I was driving a Honda CRX at the time!

 

[Chris Bethurum]

Lightning sparked a fire near Independence, CA on Friday closing CA-395. My mom had to evacuate back to her primary residence in the Los Angeles area. I saw the culprit CB on the road to Tehachapi, CA for some camping. By my own barometer, the action has already begun.